What You May Not Know About Dental Implants

According to the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons approximately 95% of dental implants are successful and last on average of 15 years. It is regarded as a safe technique for restoring missing teeth with a high rate of success. However, as implant technology becomes more widespread, there are things you should consider prior to your surgery.

To ensure that you have dental “implant success” and not just “implant survival” often depends on the level of training and qualifications of the dentist or oral surgeon as noted in a 2016 Dentistry review by Dr. Negm. Being certain of their credentials and patient reviews may save you the chance of implant failure.

In the review study Dr. Negm found there are many reasons why mistakes occur. As noted, some of these situations happened when the provider was in a hurry to perform the procedure too quickly and/or more concerned with cutting costs.

While some dentists still use the two-dimensional panoramic X-rays to place dental implants there is a much more sophisticated and reliable technology called 3D CT scans. This imaging system provides a much clearer picture of the location of the nerves and blood vessels present in and near the bone, allowing the provider more optimal placement of every dental implant. These scans are taken quickly and emit a small amount of radiation.

Today implants are offered as the first line of treatment for most complete or partial missing teeth. Specialists as well as general dentists must focus on certain protocols to insure patient risks factors are not ignored so that if found, precautions can be taken to maximize dental implant success. It is imperative that your provider be knowledgeable of all clinical complications. The following are a list of risk factors that should always be discussed and assessed by your dentist or oral surgeon if you are considering implant technology:

• Poor quality or quantity of bone
• Infections
• Lack of oral hygiene
• Smoking habit
• Systemic diseases that were poorly controlled

Another reason Negm found for poor implant procedure rates was the quality of the fixture. He states, “With over 200 companies that provide dental implants, there are only a handful of reputable ones with proven research documenting their reliability and quality. Costs vary greatly with substandard products, coming in nearly one-hundredth of the cost of high quality fixtures. We are learning now that cutting costs can lead to serious complications like infection and nerve damage that causes facial numbness and pain.”

You can reach our office at (775) 358-1555 to schedule your private and confidential office consultation. Dr. Caffaratti and Dr. Doucette will be happy to show you our imaging system, the NewTom Cone Beam 3D, review our implant protocols and discuss our implant success.

For more information on our dental implant cost, insurance questions and financing please call (775) 358-1555 for your consultation.